IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ijoais/v10y2009i1p1-24.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The use of Web sites as a disclosure platform for corporate performance

Author

Listed:
  • Cormier, Denis
  • Ledoux, Marie-Josée
  • Magnan, Michel

Abstract

Adopting a stockholders' interests' perspective, we explore three related questions: (1) What are the scope and patterns of corporate performance disclosure on the Internet? (2) What are the determinants of the extent and scope of corporate performance disclosure on the Internet? (3) Is corporate performance disclosure on the Internet relevant for valuation of a firm's earnings? Corporate performance disclosure relates to corporate actions and initiatives that directly affect society and, ultimately, stockholders' wealth. We focus on Web (HTML) disclosure. Our sample comprises Canada's largest publicly-traded firms, many of which are also SEC registrants. The extent and scope of web disclosure by these firms is rated using a coding grid. Regarding the first question, three disclosure patterns emerge: (1) firms providing disclosure about innovation, development and growth also tend to report about customer value as well as maintaining a Web site with good capabilities (business-related disclosure), (2) disclosure about human/intellectual capital is linked to social responsibility disclosure (social-related disclosure) and, (3) the disclosure of financial performance and corporate governance practices are both closely linked together (financial-related disclosure). Regarding the second question, firms apparently take into account variables proxying for information costs and benefits accruing to stockholders when determining the extent of their Web disclosure. Finally, regarding the third question, a firm's web-based performance disclosure appears to affect its earnings valuation multiple, although in a differential manner according to the nature of the information being conveyed.

Suggested Citation

  • Cormier, Denis & Ledoux, Marie-Josée & Magnan, Michel, 2009. "The use of Web sites as a disclosure platform for corporate performance," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 1-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ijoais:v:10:y:2009:i:1:p:1-24
    DOI: 10.1016/j.accinf.2008.04.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1467089508000560
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.accinf.2008.04.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Atiase, Rk, 1985. "Predisclosure Information, Firm Capitalization, And Security Price Behavior Around Earnings Announcements," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(1), pages 21-36.
    2. Ittner, CD & Larcker, DF, 1998. "Are nonfinancial measures leading indicators of financial performance? An analysis of customer satisfaction," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36, pages 1-35.
    3. Botosan, CA & Harris, MS, 2000. "Motivations for a change in disclosure frequency and its consequences: An examination of voluntary quarterly segment disclosures," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(2), pages 329-353.
    4. Ole‐Kristian Hope, 2003. "Disclosure Practices, Enforcement of Accounting Standards, and Analysts' Forecast Accuracy: An International Study," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 235-272, May.
    5. Amir, Eli & Lev, Baruch, 1996. "Value-relevance of nonfinancial information: The wireless communications industry," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1-3), pages 3-30, October.
    6. Frankel, R & Johnson, M & Skinner, DJ, 1999. "An empirical examination of conference calls as a voluntary disclosure medium," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 133-150.
    7. Barbara Pirchegger & Alfred Wagenhofer, 1999. "Financial information on the Internet: a survey of the homepages of Austrian companies," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 383-395.
    8. Debreceny, Roger & Gray, Glen L. & Rahman, Asheq, 2002. "The determinants of Internet financial reporting," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(4-5), pages 371-394.
    9. Walter Aerts & Denis Cormier & Michel Magnan, 2007. "The Association Between Web‐Based Corporate Performance Disclosure and Financial Analyst Behaviour Under Different Governance Regimes," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(6), pages 1301-1329, November.
    10. Paul M. Healy & Amy P. Hutton & Krishna G. Palepu, 1999. "Stock Performance and Intermediation Changes Surrounding Sustained Increases in Disclosure," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(3), pages 485-520, September.
    11. Leuz, C & Verrecchia, RE, 2000. "The economic consequences of increased disclosure," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38, pages 91-124.
    12. Neu, D. & Warsame, H. & Pedwell, K., 1998. "Managing public impressions: environmental disclosures in annual reports," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 265-282, April.
    13. Bowen, Robert M. & DuCharme, Larry & Shores, D., 1995. "Stakeholders' implicit claims and accounting method choice," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 255-295, December.
    14. Paul R. Milgrom, 1981. "Good News and Bad News: Representation Theorems and Applications," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 12(2), pages 380-391, Autumn.
    15. Kothari, S. P. & Zimmerman, Jerold L., 1995. "Price and return models," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 155-192, September.
    16. Paul André & Maher Kooli & Jean-François L’Her, 2004. "The Long-Run Performance of Mergers and Acquisitions: Evidence from the Canadian Stock Market," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 33(4), Winter.
    17. Dye, Ra, 1985. "Disclosure Of Nonproprietary Information," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(1), pages 123-145.
    18. Peter M. Clarkson & Jennifer L. Kao & Gordon D. Richardson, 1994. "The Voluntary Inclusion of Forecasts in the MD&A Section of Annual Reports," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 11(1), pages 423-450, June.
    19. Wiseman, Joanne, 1982. "An evaluation of environmental disclosures made in corporate annual reports," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 53-63, January.
    20. Michael E. Porter, 1991. "Towards a dynamic theory of strategy," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(S2), pages 95-117, December.
    21. Darrough, Masako N. & Stoughton, Neal M., 1990. "Financial disclosure policy in an entry game," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(1-3), pages 219-243, January.
    22. Cormier, Denis & Magnan, Michel, 2003. "Environmental reporting management: a continental European perspective," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 43-62.
    23. Henriques, Irene & Sadorsky, Perry, 1996. "The Determinants of an Environmentally Responsive Firm: An Empirical Approach," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 381-395, May.
    24. Ball, Ray & Robin, Ashok & Wu, Joanna Shuang, 2003. "Incentives versus standards: properties of accounting income in four East Asian countries," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1-3), pages 235-270, December.
    25. Lang, M & Lundholm, R, 1993. "Cross-Sectional Determinants Of Analyst Ratings Of Corporate Disclosures," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 246-271.
    26. Mills, Dixie L. & Gardner, Mona J., 1984. "Financial profiles and the disclosure of expenditures for socially responsible purposes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 407-424, December.
    27. Williams, S. Mitchell & Ho Wern Pei, Carol-Anne, 1999. "Corporate social disclosures by listed companies on their web sites: an international comparison," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 389-419, August.
    28. Roberts, Robin W., 1992. "Determinants of corporate social responsibility disclosure: An application of stakeholder theory," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 595-612, August.
    29. Gibbins, M & Richardson, A & Waterhouse, J, 1990. "The Management Of Corporate Financial Disclosure - Opportunism, Ritualism, Policies, And Processes," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 121-143.
    30. Lev, B & Zarowin, P, 1999. "The boundaries of financial reporting and how to extend them," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(2), pages 353-385.
    31. Healy, Paul M. & Palepu, Krishna G., 2001. "Information asymmetry, corporate disclosure, and the capital markets: A review of the empirical disclosure literature," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 405-440, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Denis Cormier & Walter Aerts & Marie‐Josée Ledoux & Michel Magnan, 2010. "Web‐Based Disclosure About Value Creation Processes: A Monitoring Perspective," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 46(3), pages 320-347, September.
    2. Raf Orens & Walter Aerts & Denis Cormier, 2010. "Web‐Based Non‐Financial Disclosure and Cost of Finance," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(9‐10), pages 1057-1093, November.
    3. Liu, Jianlei & Uchida, Konari & Bao, Chenyu, 2024. "Environmental regulation, corporate environmental disclosure, and firm performance: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    4. Claudio Vitari & Isabelle Bourdon & Florence Rodhain, 2017. "Les systèmes de communication Internet des entreprises du CAC40 : une étude longitudinale (2007-2015)," Post-Print halshs-01923267, HAL.
    5. Ksenija Denčić-Mihajlov & Dejan Spasić, 2016. "Mandatory and Voluntary Disclosures of Serbian Listed Companies - Achieved Level and Some Recommendation for Improving their Relevance," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), Kavala Campus, Greece, vol. 9(1), pages 27-38, April.
    6. Fábio Albuquerque & Paula Gomes Dos Santos, 2023. "Recent Trends in Accounting and Information System Research: A Literature Review Using Textual Analysis Tools," FinTech, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-27, April.
    7. Ye Feng & Hsing Hung Chen & Jian Tang, 2018. "The Impacts of Social Responsibility and Ownership Structure on Sustainable Financial Development of China’s Energy Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-15, January.
    8. Bishnu Prasad Bhattarai, 2021. "Determinants of Audit Report Lag of Commercial Banks in Nepal," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(10), pages 108-108, July.
    9. Jaime Guerrero-Villegas & Leticia Pérez-Calero & José Manuel Hurtado-González & Pilar Giráldez-Puig, 2018. "Board Attributes and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: A Meta-Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-22, December.
    10. Cho, Charles H. & Roberts, Robin W., 2010. "Environmental reporting on the internet by America's Toxic 100: Legitimacy and self-presentation," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16.
    11. José Manuel López‐Fernández & Mariluz Maté‐Sánchez‐Val & Francisco Manuel Somohano‐Rodriguez, 2021. "The effect of micro‐territorial networks on industrial small and medium enterprises' innovation: A case study in the Spanish region of Cantabria," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(1), pages 51-77, February.
    12. Claudio Vitari & Isabelle Bourdon & Florence Rodhain, 2017. "Les systèmes de communication Internet des entreprises du CAC40 : une étude longitudinale (2007-2015)," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) halshs-01923267, HAL.
    13. Salvi, Antonio & Vitolla, Filippo & Giakoumelou, Anastasia & Raimo, Nicola & Rubino, Michele, 2020. "Intellectual capital disclosure in integrated reports: The effect on firm value," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    14. Amin, Marian H. & Mohamed, Ehab K.A. & Elragal, Ahmed, 2021. "CSR disclosure on Twitter: Evidence from the UK," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    15. Liliana Feleaga & Niculae Feleaga & Mihaela Dumitrascu, 2013. "Study On The Perception Of The Corporate Performance In Accounting And Audit Firms," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1(1), pages 1316-1323, July.
    16. Denis Cormier & Marie-Josée Ledoux & Michel Magnan, 2010. "The Informational Contribution of Social and Environmental Disclosures for Investors," Post-Print hal-00481571, HAL.
    17. Sharma, Narendra, 2014. "Extent of corporate governance disclosure by banks and finance companies listed on Nepal Stock Exchange," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 425-439.
    18. Michail Bekiaris & Chrysoula Psimada & Tasos Sergios, 2014. "Internet Financial Reporting Quality and Corporate Characteristics: The Case of Construction Companies Listed in Greek and Cypriot Stock Exchange," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 41-57.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Walter Aerts & Denis Cormier & Michel Magnan, 2007. "The Association Between Web‐Based Corporate Performance Disclosure and Financial Analyst Behaviour Under Different Governance Regimes," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(6), pages 1301-1329, November.
    2. Denis Cormier & Walter Aerts & Marie‐Josée Ledoux & Michel Magnan, 2010. "Web‐Based Disclosure About Value Creation Processes: A Monitoring Perspective," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 46(3), pages 320-347, September.
    3. Denis Cormier & Michel Magnan, 2003. "Les Modes De Divulgation D'Informations Environnementales : Une Analyse Intersectorielles," Post-Print halshs-00582749, HAL.
    4. Raf Orens & Walter Aerts & Denis Cormier, 2010. "Web‐Based Non‐Financial Disclosure and Cost of Finance," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(9‐10), pages 1057-1093, November.
    5. Aerts, Walter & Cormier, Denis & Magnan, Michel, 2008. "Corporate environmental disclosure, financial markets and the media: An international perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 643-659, January.
    6. Denis Cormier & Marie-Josée Ledoux & Michel Magnan, 2010. "The Informational Contribution of Social and Environmental Disclosures for Investors," Post-Print hal-00481571, HAL.
    7. Stephan Hollander & Maarten Pronk & Erik Roelofsen, 2010. "Does Silence Speak? An Empirical Analysis of Disclosure Choices During Conference Calls," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(3), pages 531-563, June.
    8. Cormier, Denis & Magnan, Michel, 2007. "The revisited contribution of environmental reporting to investors' valuation of a firm's earnings: An international perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(3-4), pages 613-626, May.
    9. Beyer, Anne & Cohen, Daniel A. & Lys, Thomas Z. & Walther, Beverly R., 2010. "The financial reporting environment: Review of the recent literature," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 296-343, December.
    10. de La Bruslerie, Hubert & Gabteni, Heger, 2014. "Voluntary disclosure of financial information by French firms: Does the introduction of IFRS matter?," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 367-380.
    11. Omaima Hassan & Claire Marston, 2010. "Disclosure measurement in the empirical accounting literature - a review article," Accountancy Discussion Papers 1004, Accountancy Research Group, Heriot Watt University.
    12. Encarna Guillamón-Saorín & Carlos M. P. Sousa, 2014. "Voluntary Disclosure of Press Releases and the Importance of Timing: A Comparative Study of the UK and Spain," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 71-106, February.
    13. Amel Ben Rhouma, 2006. "Mesure De La Qualite De La Divulgation Societale Des Entreprises Francaises," Post-Print halshs-00548088, HAL.
    14. Carsten Albers & Thomas Günther, 2010. "Disclose or not disclose: determinants of social reporting for STOXX Europe 600 firms," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 323-347, November.
    15. Belén Blanco & Juan M. Garcia Lara & Josep A. Tribó Giné, 2009. "The Complementarity Between Segment Disclosure and Earnings Quality, and its Effect on Cost Capital," Working Papers 1005, Departament Empresa, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, revised Feb 2010.
    16. Jean-François Gajewski & Li Li, 2015. "Can Internet-Based Disclosure Reduce Information Asymmetry?," Post-Print halshs-01497381, HAL.
    17. Gajewski, Jean-François & Li, Li, 2015. "Can Internet-based disclosure reduce information asymmetry?," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 115-124.
    18. Guidry, Ronald P. & Patten, Dennis M., 2012. "Voluntary disclosure theory and financial control variables: An assessment of recent environmental disclosure research," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 81-90.
    19. Zabihollah Rezaee & Ling Tuo, 2019. "Are the Quantity and Quality of Sustainability Disclosures Associated with the Innate and Discretionary Earnings Quality?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(3), pages 763-786, March.
    20. Breeda Comyns & Frank Figge & Tobias Hahn & Ralf Barkemeyer, 2013. "Sustainability reporting: The role of “Search”, “Experience” and “Credence” information," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 231-243, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ijoais:v:10:y:2009:i:1:p:1-24. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-accounting-information-systems/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.